Job hunting strategies

IT IS difficult to suggest practical strategies for finding jobs and changing careers. This is because there is a wide gap between the number of applicants and the number of jobs available. Here are some helpful strategies for getting ahead in today's job market.

1. Always try to find a job thats fit for you rather than try to fit into a job just because it is available.

2. Finding a job that is fit for you requires that you do first things first - assess your interests, skills and abilities, and set clear goals that will guide your job search into productive channels. Unfortunately, many people start by doing last things first - writing a resume and spending most of their time reading and responding to classified ads. That's the best way to become confused and discouraged in today's job market!

3. You should spend most of your job search time on activities that increase your contacts with other individuals who can provide you information, advice, and referrals. You do this by developing an active prospecting and networking campaign which incorporates both interpersonal and electronic networking activities.

4. Rejections are a normal part of any successful job search. Learn to welcome rejections as prerequisites to encountering acceptances. Without rejections, you will not learn what you should accept. A typical job search involves eight rejections before receiving an acceptance. If you stop your job search after three or four rejections, you will prematurely kill your chances of getting a good job. Start your morning out by saying ``Today, I am going to collect six rejections, because after the sixth one, I will probably encounter an acceptance!''

5. Finding a job need not be a lonely and depressing experience. Don't be afraid to share your experiences with others. Better still, form a group of friends who are all involved in looking for a job. Meet often, share experiences, set performance goals, and a reward for achieving goals. In so doing, you may discover one of the best kept secrets of such job seekers - they cut their job search time in half by talking and conducting post mortems on interviews.

6. When in doubt about what to do next in your job search, do something that contributes to learning more about yourself, specific employers, or the job market. Go to the library to conduct research, contact people in your network, further build your network through cold calling techniques, or explore job sites on the Internet. You must be proactive in communicating your qualifications to employers. Spending a lot of time worrying about your future or waiting for employers to come knocking on your door is really a waste of time. Always focus on doing something productive - things that contribute to achieving your final job search goals.

S. Ramanujacharya

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